PLEASURE AND PAIN - SHAKESPEARE & BUDDHA * MORE QUESTIONS ANSWERED

HEDONISM VS ASCETISM * SHAKESPEARE & BUDDHA * MORE QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Does not Comparing Shakespeare and Buddha lead to a conflict between hedonism and ascetism?

Possible, when hedonism (living to derive maximum pleasure from life or drinking life upto sediment) and the ascetism are taken as mutually exclusive.

How such conflict can be avoided?

Often, there may not be any conflict at all.

Pl. see the picture. In a continuum the pleasure and pain are the two poles of the same mind. They may not be like light and darkness. Every individual may be anywhere between -90 degrees to +90 degrees. Individuals during their life time may be moving several times hither and thither on the line.

What is the Northern extreme of exuberance?

The perfectly exuberant man will be ready to invite the pleasure and pain eagerly. He laughs and weeps like a child depending on the position he is placed.

What is the Southern extreme of stoicism?

The perfect stoic is like a stone. He is tight lipped. His tear sacs are dry, not because they have been exhausted of tears, but because he prides himself in being tear-free. Bhagavad Gita unfortunately envisioned this type of fellow as a man of steady wisdom.

Then who is a man of steady wisdom?

You can see from the picture, the man of steady wisdom is equidistant from pleasure, pain, stoicism and exuberance. His central position does not mean that he is static and inert or a cat on the wall. He lives as per natural instinct. He does not lose his natural poise. His shift from position to position will also be natural as the situation demands. He will be enthusiastic but not a fanatic.

Can Shakespeare be considered as Buddhist?

There is much hype around the writings of Shakespeare. Much hype around the life of Buddha. No hype around the life of Shakespeare. If we assume that Buddhist literature composed by the disciples of Buddha really reflect his teachings, then it will be difficult to say that Buddha himself was a real Buddhist in tune with his precepts.

(To be continued. Comments are welcome.)